I've Come For You, An Inevitable Return
I've Come For You, An Inevitable Return Apologies, Recompense and Humility Night passed over a day of hectic craziness and much jubiliation. The Soul Society's skies were lit by the luminous, majestic moon while a handful of thinly layered clouds drifted by. People returned to their quarters for the night, ready to call it a day after much work or socializing was finished within the slowly rebuilding city. One could find it hard to believe this was the center of battle twice within a week's passing, becoming embroiled in conflict and stained in blood. But nowhere felt more homely than within the headquarters of the established V-14. With the entitement of being official mercenaries for hire to the citizens of the Soul Society and beyond, they were able to eat, drink, and be merry for quite a handful of hours. Even though some emotions were riled and feathers ruffled, talk between visitors and residents alike went smoothly for the most part. But even then, most eventually parted ways and went on their own to sleep the day away. One of the only exceptions was Shinshin. As the dust settled from events past the war, those who remembered their actions more vividly came to terms of what happened. Now, in the dead of the night, he approached in full garbed apparel. Apprehensively the swordsman raised his bandaged hand, still healing from his battle against Daigomi, and rapped it a few times against the door. He had waited until this hour to make up his mind on speaking to this man, after he briefly asked Kaitlyn what he should do. He thanked her for being so understanding and also forgiving for what happened, as it had apparently slipped her mind. But sometimes, men find it harder to forget a clash of words and fists. After knocking the door a third time, Shinshin cleared his throat before speaking, "Are you available to speak, Holmes-san? If so, I'd like to discuss something with you in person." What answered him was a snorting noise, followed by a slurred vocalization of "Wha...?". Silence followed suit for a few seconds before an irate groan and the shuffling of bare feet across the floor. It was obvious that Oliver had been sleeping soundly, having been freshly awakened by Shinshin's knocking. It would be made even more obvious when the door opened, allowing the two to see each other face-to-face. He was unkempt, his blonde hair ruffled and mussed thanks to being on the pillow for so long. His eyes were somewhat red with bags underneath, and it didn't help that they were narrowed when they took in the sight of the samurai. His clothing consisted of a white tank top and striped boxers, with the stripes red and yellow. It was also apparent that he hadn't heard Shinshin's voice in favor of the knock, his inability to immediately recognize pointed out by his chosen words. "Do you know how fucking late it is? Get lo--" However, he stopped himself when he recognized who it was. For a moment, his eyes widened in surprise. But it lasted only for a second before they were shut tightly. He lowered his head, pinching the bridge of his nose in a clear demonstration of aggravation. "For the love of g--" He jerked his head up, glaring groggily at the samurai. "Look, Sword Boy. I really don't wanna deal with whatever shit you have to wipe on me, all right? You can wait until I'm in the mood to start something." With that being said, he moved to shut the door. "Holmes-san," Shinshin said a bit more firmly, using all of his willpower to not speak in a way that'd make him appear hostile. His words that came out next were carefully chosen, as were his following actions. Bowing his head, he raised his voice a bit more so it could be heard plainly, "I came here to apologize." The door was stopped a fraction of an inch before it could shut completely, swinging back open again. Now Oliver was regarding Shinshin with surprise again, taken aback by the second statement. He had expected many things after the scuffle they had. But an apology had certainly not been one of them. After all, who would lower themselves to apologize to the likes of him? It was unthinkable. It was insane. One would've had to lower the level of pride and self-respect they had to even drop their nose at him. So for a few seconds, all he did was regard Shinshin with shock. But just like before, it would fade away. This time, it would regress to a face of resignation. He may have considered himself to be a jerk. But he wasn't so much that he would shut the door in the face of a more humble member of the V-14. He gave a soft sight and let go of the door edge, approaching his bed. "Shut the door behind you. There's only two people I planned on letting see me in my underwear." Wordlessly, Shinshin nodded with understanding. Shuffling into the room, he quietly closed the door behind him as he entered. He took a few glances at the room, noticing its messy state reflected Oliver's demeanor and personality quite well. Any sign of him criticizing the cleansliness of his host's abode, however, wasn't seen as his eyes retained a typical impassiveness. Approaching the bed of the boxer-clad man, the warrior took a few breaths of preparation before slowly lowering himself to the ground. With knuckles clenched tightly against the floor, head bowed till it was a handful of inches away from touching it, Shinshin was perfectly prostrate before Oliver's bed. Bowed as low as he could achieve, he wanted to appear as sincere in the apology he wanted to give. After all, it was for Kaitlyn's sake as much as it was for everyone else's. "Oliver Holmes. Please forgive me for the actions of improper conduct I showed to you and your body. I plead that you hear out my apology and understand that I had only acted accordingly to my pride, however foolishly I had executed it. Should you wish to enact a punishment upon me to satisfy your demand for justice, I shall humbly take whatever lashing you shall see fit," The traditional minded man said in a dramatic if not completely serious manner. "Lashing, you say?" Oliver repeated, cocking an eyebrow and frowning as he looked down at the bowing man in front of him. He was sitting with his arms resting on the tops of his thighs, looking inquisitively at the bowing Shinshin. Obviously, this was no joke; the boy was simply too serious and too hardened to even understand the definition of humor. He had come for an apology, and if he had to get it through physical punishment, he would gladly take that. It was a rather extreme display of humility, as far as the gunman was concerned. But this presented him with a rather good opportunity. So after frowning for a moment, he gave a smirk. "All right, then. Wait right there." He pulled himself off of the bed, approaching his closet and opening the doors. He stuck his hands in, rummaging around in his things until he found what he was looking for. He pulled it out, looking over it for a moment. Then, he gave it a few test swings. The sound of whistling air could be heard to Shinshin's ears for at least five times before there was silence again, followed by Oliver's voice. "I'm glad to hear you say that. You see, in all honesty, I think you've been a rather bad kid. A kid who's finally starting to own up to his actions. So, as the responsible adult that I am," He gripped the leather in his free hand, giving a dark smile as he approached Shinshin. "I'll hand out the most appropriate form of discipline that there is. And by appropriate form, I mean I'm gonna beat you like a red-headed stepchild." His grin grew to the point where his canines were showing. "Are you ready?" "I should have known than to expect unnatural mercy from the likes of this man. Still, it would be a disgrace to refuse him now. I'm sure Kaitlyn will understand. I bear this pain in order to perserve future relations with her family. Aside from that, any pain he places upon me will be dim in comparison to the surgery I had conducted to place swords in my arms," Shinshin rationalized within, steeling himself with a few inhales and exhales. Nodding without responding, he was prepared for a beating from the unforgiving man before him. That was, until a loud swear was heard on the other side of Oliver's door. Seconds later, for which caused Shinshin's eyes to widen with surprise at hearing the barrier between the room and the hall swing loudly open with a crack. Had he known a particular, easily waking woman, slept in the other room with her lover he would have thought himself less discreet. This particular woman, however, was looking quite livid. "You lousy fucker!" Hyōryū snarled, her eyes open and her pupils contracted. Her hair was mussed up, haggardly going down her shoulders to the top of her back, over her exposed collarbones. A simple sports bra was donned in jet black color was placed over her womanly chest, with her shapely hips barely covered by her normal jean shorts. It was partially disheveled at an angled, revealing a black pair of undergarments, showing that she must have hastily put on something. Shinshin didn't need to make visual contact to guess the waves of agitation and incredulous anger burning within her. Like a barely contained maelstrom of emotions, swimming through a river of volatile pumped energy. If she was a Tamajutsu artist, he swore she would have exploded through sheer will. Even to a non-Tamajutsu user like Oliver, Hyōryū's fury was evident. He abruptly stopped his walk, his eyes widening in shock when his door was kicked open. His head was swung, his eyes meeting the enraged orbs of their female owner. He had the affinity for spiritual sense, of course; had it been under normal circumstances, he would've sensed her coming. But his mind was still lingering in the ocean of sleep, and in this particular time and place, he wouldn't have thought that he would have any interference. The rest of the crew was dead asleep, after all... though the status of that would now be uncertain thanks to the female gunman's loud entry. So following his look of shock would be a look of annoyance, as he knew that he would most likely have more of an audience on the way. "No, no." He deadpanned, slinging the belt over his shoulder and giving the woman an irate glare. "Don't bother knocking. Just kick in my door, it's not like it's there for a reason." "Is that the excuse for keeping something like this behind your door? If so, then I guess that explains a fuckin' lot!" Hyōryū snarled, gesturing to Shinshin and then punching the frame of the door. Her knuckles struck it hard enough to form a dent, rattling the hinges from whence it was locked upon. Her heavy breaths were now restricted to her nostrils as she kept a much more aware, vivid glare locked upon his face. "Fūsoku-san-" "Get. Out!" Hyōryū enunciated in a level, chilling tone. "You don't understand-!" Shinshin tried to implore, turning his head around to bow in front of Hyōryū, finding that it was a horrible idea. Her glare only seemed to widen and to his eyes, an aura of dark flames expanded around her. Gulping, he nodded quickly and scurried to his feet, shuffling around her with a meek apology to her. It didn't take long for him to walk down the hallway, leaving the two alone, giving reason for Hyōryū to close the door a bit more slowly than she opened it. Sighing, she ran both hands over her face up to her hair, yanking it up before letting both palms slide down her cheeks. Placing both palms on her hips, she gnashed her teeth and tapped her left foot impatiently, while speaking in a seething tone, "Explain to me the punchline of whatever sick joke you had planned for that poor guy. Make sure it sounds convincing, cause I'd LOVE to share this sense of humor to the rest of the gang. I'm sure they'll think you're a real hoot!" There was a moment in time where Oliver's heart skipped a beat, and for the briefest of moments, he found himself expressing pensiveness. He wasn't someone who valued the judgmental opinion of others, otherwise he would've shaped up his act a long time ago. But he knew that when she said the "rest of the gang", she meant all of them including Angelika. If he refused to say anything, it would give her the excuse needed to walk over and tell everyone that he was legitimately going to beat Shinshin. The ones he could guarantee to be angered towards him would be Angelika and especially Asuka. While the latter he was wary of mostly due to a semblance of respect - he hadn't forgotten what she had did to BG9 - it was Angelika's cold glare of disapproval that he couldn't get out of his head. If Hyōryū told her, then it would be one of the few times he would truly experience shame. He squeezed his eyes shut and let out a heavy sigh, dropping the belt to the floor. "A man confined in the ways of tradition, a warrior stuck in the past time..." He said, folding his arms across his chest and beginning to pace around. "Honor and pride are his greatest medals around his neck, and yet he doesn't get that those very same medals can end up choking him to death. With a head and body making out with the ground, he had no idea what I was going to do to him. Could I have pulled out a knife? Some rope? Gasoline and a torch? The possibilities are endless, and he wouldn't have known anything because he was too caught up in his own ways. I had an opportunity to completely take advantage of him and his precious pride, and he wouldn't have had a clue." He gave a dark chuckle, using one of his hands to start gesturing in emphasis of his words. "He had no idea what was going to happen to him... and he didn't know what he'd be losing by putting himself at my mercy. If it weren't for you, I would've gladly given him that eye-opener and he could've walked out of here with food for thought." The red-head listened, holding an impassive frown throughout. As he continued speaking it was becoming more and more difficult for her to remain detached. His reasoning was so cruel, vindictive and pure malicious. While one could reason that, from his past, he could be considered a sociopath but this was inexcusable. Especially while being part of an organization such as V-14. "So you decided to betray a man who came in begging for your forgiveness, something I'd pay to see, and then abuse that trust to teach him a lesson about...what? That the world is more cruel than he knows? That he should be more careful when talking to the likes of you? That apologizing to anyone in what he's been taught and believes is stupid?" Hyōryū asked, most of her queries being rhetorical for she knew he'd not give a proper answer. Instead during the time she spoke her feet tapped against the messy floor, allowing her to reach the mutually heighted, short man. Reaching up with a hand, she grasped his collar into a vice-like grip and pulled him closer to her face so she could hiss her anger up close and personal. Her eyes practically burning coals compared to the normal hazel gems, boring straight into his sockets. Her breath mingled of smoke, doing nothing to stem the amount of rage built up within her being. "Are you a fuckin' psycho?! That man came in to apologize to you of all people! It's one thing to get back at a guy revisiting an old grudge, but a rare kind of man like that you want to hurt? What kind of fuckin' baggage do you have with people who are actually polite to you?!" She snarled as she kept him in her grip, teeth bared and venting her hot breath as she finished with a slitted gaze. "it takes a special kind of person to go out of their way to make this kind of thing a joke. That kind of special I usually plug between the cajoles, if you get my drift. I'm sorely tempted to do it barehanded if you even try to make this like it was an innocent prank, Oliver!" There was a thick silence afterward. At first, Oliver was shocked when her hand grasped at the front of his tank top, letting out a grunt as he was yanked to her face. But as he registered her words, his expression relaxed. Although he reached up to grasp her wrist, he made no move to pull her off. He listened with the attentiveness and quiet of a mouse, regarding her with a grim stare. Her words were passionate, empathetic even.He could still remember back when she had been willing to shoot down civilians just a clear a path to a target, when she'd gladly level a portion of the Seireitei just for kicks. Back then, she had been just as remorseless a killer as he was. Now, she had grown a conscience. Or did she have that conscience all along, hidden away for no one else to see? He probably would never know. But either way, it gave him cause for rebuttal. A small smile graced his face, his grip relaxing on Hyōryū's wrist. "Innocent? That's not a word you should be trying to group in my category, Sis." He said casually. "Didn't you see how I was killing those Shinigami during the convoy raid? Did you not see the grin on my face as I reduced each and every one of them into gory, chunky pieces of meat? Did you not see how I was the first one to shoot that oversized demon, as opposed to the rest that chose to stay in line like the good little dogs that they are? That has always been my face. I'm a maniac right down to my rotten core, a psychopath to the end of my days. From Hell I have come, and to Hell I shall return. And if what Yashin said to Nazi is true, then I'll be returning home soon enough. I can freely admit that a monster is my true form. But," He moved in closer, to a point where his nose was only an inch or two away from her cheek. "What about you... child?" He asked, his voice deceptively soft and carrying a semblance of endearing quality. His breath would be present on her face and neck. "You killing people with the biggest shit-eating grin on your face, laughing as you tear new holes for the vultures to shit through... I've seen my fair share of that, and I came to the idea that we weren't so different. But now, your heart is bleeding as much as a gutted pig. You've grown weak and frail, allowing yourself to shrink in the face of the idealism that the Gotei 13 holds. How much farther are you going to regress? Will you become like the Nakamura girl, having to hide behind your boyfriend every time a particularly powerful enemy shows up? When the apocalypse comes, will you lay down your guns, huddle up in the fetal position and start bawling your eyes out?" At this point, his smile grew wider to expose his canines. "When I begin the descent into Hell, I will be laughing and murdering every step of the way. I will step on skulls, break lives and bring the very world to its knees if it means my comrades can live a little longer. If the thought of my insanity ticks you off, go ahead and shoot me." His words burned into her ears and clawed their way into her mind. She knew that he mistook what she said, perhaps a misuse of words on her part, that she was accusing him of his sanity being in question. Still, this sight of him embracing his monstrous side was...unsettling. Was she ever this bloodthirsty? Perhaps, but that time was over for her she was convinced. Ever since that day happened prior to the moment the war was in the works and everything changed for them. It was this line of thought that made her tighten her hold on Oliver enough to hold him in place. Just long enough to have her left set of knuckles piston into his jaw's right side. The punch made a sickening clap of skin and bone meeting, a crack heard, indicating that something was close to breaking within that hit. She counted on him falling back onto his bed, with her glaring incredulously at what he said, like he just spouted nonsense. "You don't get it, do you?" She asked, raising up her bruised knuckles, her fist shaking with emphasis with the fire coursing through her words as much as it shimmered in her eyes. "I wasn't questioning how you do things in a fight. I never thought to nitpick on the ethics of a job or the morals of a fight. There is a time and a place when killing, slaughter, and mayhem is necessary. But this is...there's a fine line between how you treat people who are your sworn enemy with bull's eyes on their heads and the guys who're supposed to be our comrades. "V-14 is supposed to be our family, blood related or not. I don't care if you were just planning to play a practical joke on him or what, but what you did to him to begin with was just plain wrong. I see you, day in and out, prod people's buttons to get a sick rise out of them. You're a royal jackass and I only tolerate it because you're a damned good shooter and someone I can depend on in the thickest. But...if this is how you treat people who offer you humility in exchange for kindness...just how can you claim anything you do that you consider compassionate more than obligatory? Do you have any heart or feelings that doesn't benefit you in the long run? Or does it always have to involve just you and make sure the outcome always benefits you?" With a sigh, she let the question hang in the air before the fury died in her heart as well as the words that came next. "Believe it or not, I wanted to change after that day," Hyōryū lowered her fist, her gaze drifting to the floor as her hands unfurled. Her body shivered, the shuddering memory threatening to claw to her mind's eye. Shaking her head, she concluded aloud, "I was in Hell as far as I was concerned. But I was...given a second chance. We were given a second chance. I was allowed the chance to love and be loved back. To fight for something more than simply money or bloodthirst's sake. It wasn't others who changed me. I changed because I wanted to. I just happened to get help along the way." Raising her head, she stared at him long and hard as her fists balled up by her hips, "You've got to decide, here and now, what matters more, Ollie. Does the world revolve around you or the people around you? You should make up your mind soon, since you finally got your family back. I'm sure us and them wouldn't want you hanging out in your fuckin' suicidal road of challenging demons and picking fight with noble intentioned samurai. Just sayin'." He hadn't expected her to punch him. Nor had he expected the punch to actually break something. Her fist was like a brick to the face, and his eyes widened in shock as he found himself falling. His body crashed onto his bed, and he reflexively sat himself up to stare at her in disbelief. As a hand reached up to feel the affected area, he felt his jaw partially dislocated. The pain was nothing in comparison to the shock he felt at the idea that she actually hurt him. Out of the majority of the V-14, she was considered at the very least a normal being. Yet a punch had nearly dislocated his jaw. He had been underestimating her strength, and so shocked that he couldn't do anything but sit and listen to what she had to say. He kept that expression of quiet amazement on his face as he looked at her, right up to the point where the question of whether he had a heart came to mind. That was the moment in where his shock was tinted with anger. Even as he heard the words spoken concerning the Plinian Movement, he found his nursing hand shaking. His composure was slipping little by little, too quickly for his liking. He could feel a familiar fire burning through his chest, his system setting itself on fire when she found the end of her little speech. He felt his lips pursing, his hidden teeth clenching underneath. His pupils and irises shrank, and his voice was low and quiet when he spoke. "...you think that all that matters to me is me?" He asked rhetorically. "That everything I've done was only to feed my own face? That I was the first one to shoot Mōshin solely because of suicidal tendencies? That I really wanted to pick a fight with Sword Boy for no reason at all?" There was only a few seconds of silence, before his cradling hand lifted itself off of its face. Its fingers violently clenched into his fists, matching his other hand. In an instant, he had thrown himself off of his bed and stood tall once again. His mouth was now contorted into a snarl, his expression livid as contracted eyes glared daggers at Hyōryū. He didn't even care to monitor his own volume, his voice bellowing and vicious as it spoke. "IS THAT HOW LITTLE YOU THINK OF ME, YOU UNGRATEFUL BITCH?!!" He swung a hand out to his side, allowing his fury to sweep the space of the room. "Y'know, I really shouldn't be surprised!!" He seethed. "You haven't been in V-14 as long as me and the Alpha Team have!! But at the very least, I'd figured that you would've still understood!! Ask Anton. Ask Angelika or Shou. Ask all three of them if you have to!! But they'll tell you the exact same thing!! They know that what I do and how I speak with them isn't because of some sadistic drive or anything like that!! It's how I fucking operate!! It's how I speak to my friends!! They've learned to accept that!! It's not my fault Asuka's kid is too far from the social tree!! I came out of my life this way!!" He returned his arms to his sides, his fists balled so tightly that his nails were digging into his skin. "I take the initiative!! I fire the first shot when we have no choice, when the rest of you are too goddamn scared to even lift a finger!! When Mōshin came along, none of us were willing to challenge him!! Even Mōka, the demi-god of the group, was acting all terrified and shit when she saw him!! She had the power to fight him!! But she was too worried about how everyone would've viewed her if she dared show herself as what she was!! If I hadn't acted, how many of you would've still just sat there and waited until he got bored and decided to waste us?! All this talk about me not having any balls, and yet I was the only fucking one concerned with putting my life down for the sake of the Sect at that moment!! DOES LOSING YOUR LIFE MEAN MORE TO YOU THAN PUTTING IT ON THE LINE WHEN NECESSARY, YOU COWARDLY WHORE?!!" Unable to stand still anymore, he stormed over to her and once again faced her eye-to-eye. "You may think of me as a selfish, greedy bastard all you want," He growled, his voice coated thickly in its venom. "But the fact of the matter is that things have never gone to my benefit. I have had my face shoved down in shit more times than I can count!! I have had to face insurmountable odds time and time again, and barely any of the outcomes have given me any relief!! But I still fight!! I still raise my middle finger up to everyone and everything!! Because you know why?! Because I don't plan on bowing to anyone else but Angelika!! I don't plan on letting any of you bastards die, as long as I'm breathing and able to hold a sword!! I fight for all of you, and it's not because I'm bound to some fucking contract to do so!! It's out of respect, faith and trust!! This may never reach the ears of the others, but--!!" This was where his voice started to crack. His angry gaze wavered, and he had to take a few steps back. His head lowered, and he had to take a few breaths in order to keep his voice steady. But when his spoke again, his bitter words were laced with the emotion he never planned on telling anyone else. "I care about you..." He spat. "You fuckers... are the reason I can actually be happy..." Hyōryū was shocked. It was underwhelming when labeled into a single word, but that's what she was. She was surprised by his vigorous rebuttal, admitting things and confessing things in a violent yet truly sincere fashion. While Hyōryū had always known he had a deep loyalty to the crew, she never knew it was this strong. She always thought it was out of a need of self preservation or that he owed them something so he stayed around. She had pegged his suicidal behavior as something to be ashamed where he called it bravery. Outright stating that he cared for her and the others was the last thing she expected. These were just words that she didn't expect to come from him. In the heat of the moment, despite all that happened, Hyōryū felt a wave of emotion that pushed her forward. While he was still off balanced, the red headed woman wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a tender hug. Whispering quietly as hint of tears welled up in her eyes, she stroked his head and his back as she tried to console, "I cared about ya too, Ollie. I always have. I just hoped you would say the same someday. Glad I know now..." Once again, her actions shocked him. When he felt her touch, it was only by reflex that he flinched. As her arms embraced him, he was left frozen in place. Shocked eyes stared forward at the door, and his arms were held out in a manner that expressed just how unsure they were. He had never expected Hyōryū, of all people, to give him a hug of affection. With all the bickering and arguing they exchanged, he wasn't even expecting a punch to the shoulder or anything. But here she was, holding him in a gesture of comfort and kindness. He closed his eyes, fighting back his tears and allowing a half-hearted chuckle to escape his lips. "Fuck, Sis..." He complained. "Coddling me like this... it doesn't really speak well for a man's pride, you know...?" Nevertheless, he embraced her back. His arms found their place around her back, and he held her as closely as he could. Two Halves Rejoin, Will You Listen? In the middle of the night, save for the prior three whom were wide awake, all slept soundly within V-14's compound. The safety and security allowed to them was only thanks to their newfound legitimacy within the Soul Society. Staked within the Seireitei, any comings and goings of suspicious persons or those who wished to do harm would be kept from their doostep. For this reason, all mercenaries residing within had a passive sense of ease. But within the quarters of Angelika Hartmann, an unusual event transpired. Flourishing tongues of purple-blue light sprayed in the middle of the air, spontaneously combusting what seemed to be dozens of sparks of energy. Spraying forth would appear the razor edge of a scythe, pushing out and across the air for someone to appear. Within the severed void came forth a silhouetted being, stepping through the dark empty abyss used for travel. Dark trappings covered the being, whose weapon dissipated into smoke as swiftly as the opening behind him manifested. When the last flecks of fiery light vanished, his hooded visage locked glowing cobalt eyes at her sleeping form. Walking forward, his steps were quiet and cautious, his right hand outstretched to brush away the bangs across her forehead. A soft smile graced his exposed lower facial features, eyes twinkling with delight. Rubbing his gloved hand around her cheek in a soothing manner, he quietly whispered out to her as he bent close to her dormant form. "Wake up, my Beautiful Shadow," Yashin murmured as he continued to stroke her hair and face with equal tenderness. There was the slightest problem. Ever since several years ago during her days in an Inner Circle, when an assassin had broke into her home to kill her, she had developed a defensive reflex as a result of constant exercise of caution. It had taken several years for her to do so, and it was more than a few times that it nearly failed her. But in time, she was able to act on a dime when it seemed as if her life was threatened. Whenever her sleeping form was encountered by a burglar or murderer, they would find that her waking up would be the last thing they would want. Based from the fact that Yashin was able to touch her without arousing her from slumber was impressive, to say the least. But the whisper would be the catalyst. Within an instant, Yashin would not find himself staring at the German's peacefully sleeping face. Instead, he would be looking down the barrel of her trademark pistol. The trigger was pulled, round after round unleashed into her target's chest. She didn't bother to take the time to identify just who it was that she was shooting. Her body was entirely running on self-defense purposes, and she didn't see it fit to stop herself. She just continued to squeeze the trigger, shooting until the clicking of an dry clip was registered. That was the moment when her senses returned to normal, and she found the ability to discover just what exactly was happening. Her free hand reached over to turn on her lamp, her face expressing restrained confusion as she looked at her would-be "assailant". With the light exposing Yashin's appearance entirely. The dark long coat, colored a matte grey in hue, lapsed over a black silk robe that lied underneath. His hood, laced within the under-robe, was knocked back during the unloaded clip of Kidō slugs impacting his face. With his visage leaning back along with the rest of his body, it took the gloved man to return to a standing posture to look down at Angelika. An amused expression crossed his face, slight signs of orange indented bullets sliding off his unblemished face without him gesturing to them in the slightest. "I shall do better on knocking on the door instead of approaching you in person," Yashin spoke lightheartedly, flecking the last of the orange-red hot bullets from his face to the corner of the room. Smiling down at her affectionately, though a good meter away this time, he couldn't help but find her demeanor fetching. Scared, confused, though ready to strike back at any lesser being unfortunate enough to believe her fragile and vulnerable at bedside. With a twinkle in his eyes, he asked in what passed as concern in his voice as he resumed his whispering tone, "I'm sorry I startled you. Were you sleeping alright?" Yashin... Once she took him in, all thoughts of an attacker was erased from Angelika's mind. She allowed herself to sit up from her laying position, her legs sliding off of the bed. In contrast to the formal appearance of him, she was a commoner. All that she dawned was a white sleeping gown of silk that reached down below her knees. Her ponytail was undone, allowing her long black hair to flow past the shoulders. Once she felt at ease again, her mouth curled into a smirk. She shifted one leg over the other, setting the pistol beside her and resting her hands on her top knee. "Is that concern I hear in your voice?" She questioned rhetorically, her voice collected and casual. "Funny to hear you being worried about me. But regardless... I was sleeping fine. Better than I was when the creature inside my soul wasn't kept in check." She tilted her head to the side a little, her smirk regressing to a smile. "What? Has the Boogeyman chosen a different career path? To watch over the children instead of spooking them?" It wasn't how she was expecting to greet him. Not too long ago, she had considered him to be a bitter enemy. But now that the revelation of his true nature was known to her, the idea of him being a target to destroy became too far-fetched for her. Even if that wasn't the case, she had worked out her anger, her desire for revenge abandoned once she remembered their motto: No enemies, only opponents. Still, was a friendly jab too far-fetched in her situation? It might've been, and it might've not been. But she had little reason now to greet him with hostility. They weren't fighting anymore, so at the very least, she could find herself to be polite. Yashin laughed, genuinely at her play at words. It was understandable, given their initial introductions. He had greeted them through a middle man, a sack of spiritronic flesh to give them a simple task to move an inconsequental thorn from his side. Upon realizing they decided not to complete the contract, he was beside himself in rage and decided to do everything he could to silence them. But, after facing them and new faces alike, he found them too fascinating to simply snuff out in a single encounter. Since then his meetings with Angelika became more dramatic and more enticing with every passing, drawing the two closer and closer. Their last parting was with a warning and a kiss. While Yashin had plenty of subordinates whom were smitten with him or that he found fetching to a degree, he never found a desire to procreate as some males of physical or spiritual forms would. Not even the desire to find a partner to be romantically involved, as he felt possessing both colleague and enemy alike was more preferable than opening one's self to such a vulnerability. But after being in touch with Angelika for so much time, he found himself experiencing an interesting phenomena beyond his obvious link to his disembodied half. Still, he couldn't place his finger what it was. Mere seconds after his laugh, Yashin shook his head and opened his eyes to stare back at her, relaxing in tension immediately, "I'm a new man, so to speak. Ever since the Inner Circle was given its probational pardon our self imposed leader decided to take our organization down a brighter path. I may not be an advocate of her ideals, but I cannot deny the efficiency of her methods and the power to stack." Leaning back, waving his arms out in presentation, he narrowed his eyes with mischief as he inquired, "Although, I'm surprised you didn't sense it already. Don't you see anything...different about me? Or should I come out and tell you in gory detail as to what's happened to me within recent time?" Although Angelika's smile faded, her tone was still conversational and amiable. She leaned forward, allowing her forearms to rest on her leg instead of just her hands. "If I had to take an educated guess," She said lightly. "I would say that whatever adventure you've been on rewarded you with a significant amount of power. I didn't need sense to tell that much. After all, what normal being could take such powerful rounds to the face without even a scratch, let alone without moving an inch? I'm looking at the true "you", right?" Her eyebrows briefly furrowed. "No, of course not. Exposing yourself within the bowels of the Soul Society would be the last thing you'd do. You've acquired a new body... one beyond the capabilities of your previous victims. Might I ask just who was the hapless fool you ensnared this time?" "You're right...and wrong," Yashin said smoothly, walking boldly up to her. Reaching out with his hand be brushed the back of his fingers against her bangs down her left cheek. Letting it slide off, he explained as he laid his palm over her warm shoulder, letting his cool palm gingerly squeeze it. "this is the real me, in all of its glory. What you saw were mere avatars producing a fictitious effigy of myself. My real body lied hidden within another realm none has seen with the naked eye. I am whole in the purest context." Retracting his hand, he placed it over his chest as his tone grew a bit more somber, his smile retracting into an impassive state, "Nine hundred years ago, a man named Veritas crossed paths with me during the peak of my power. You may know him as the specter of the Black Blood Sect, otherly known as The Keeper for their organization. He performed a powerful spell that created a fission within my being, separating my soul and lessening my strength. Since then, I've had to slowly spread my influence subtly while half of my real body proactively maneuvered himself under another name in the world. You may know him by the alias of Shidai Kagai." Sliding his palm off his chest, an amused grin worked its way up his face as he concluded, "Recently, the Espada Afilado coordinated an assault on what was left of Aizen's forces. Needless to say, they were all but ultimately victorious. The only catch? Aizen returned in physical form...as I anticipated. Using a shard of his soul in the form of a mock Hogyoku, he ensared one of his followers into a prism of energy used as a catalys to revive him in all of his entirety. At that moment, he let his guard down and I took advantage of the situation. Through the rite of possession I enacted a spell that I studied from a book I stole from Veritas, allowing him to return both halves of my being into a singular cohesive form. Aizen's body, Hogyoku and all, was annihilated. All that is left in the aftermath was myself, stronger and smarter than I ever was nine hundred years ago." Taking a seat on Angelika's bedside to her left, he smiled simply, his eyes twinkling with bemusement of the weight this knowledge was for her. Even still he nudged her shoulder with his, and asked with a cock of his head, "What do you think of that? Kind of a fascinating tale, isn't it?" "Fascinating?" What he would see was Angelika's expression of amusement and contained delight. She lifted a hand up to her cheek, laughing at what she had just heard. "This is rich!" She said, briefly looking away from Yashin. One of her eyes were closed and one of her eyes were open. "Aizen, the immortal and the mastermind of the White War, hung by his own noose! Oh, if only I could have been there to see the look on his face." She chuckled a little more as long as the mirth's lifeline was. When it was pacified again, she returned her arm to her lap and looked forward for a moment. "That must have beenhy he spoke as if he knew you, why Athena knew of you more than we did, why Shinji had first mentioned to us all that his eyes were the same as yours. To think that was just one brick that made up the path to Aizen's ultimate demise..." She turned her head to look at him, the smile on her face growing clearer. "The children were right to run from the likes of you." She straightened up a little, the smile fading into a somewhat curious look as she eyed the man inquisitively. "What will you do now? Are you still allowing your puppets to freely roam the earth? Do you plan on standing alone, as an individual?" Thoughtfully, Yashin's smile dimmed and his gaze turned towards the doorway. Ironically it was the direction from where he severed space to enter the room to begin with. Clicking his tongue against his teeth, he leaned forward with his hands placed over his knees, "If you must know, I lost all connection to my Legion the moment I became whole. I am in somewhat contact with them and retain some resonant connection but I no longer possess full disclosed knowledge of their whreabouts. Those who are not indebted or sworn to me are free to do as they please as I have run out of uses for them. Even the Inner Circle is little more than an entertaining distraction. Seihai runs the place with a self imposed leadership that is admirable yet too idealistic for my tastes. Should she call me, I shall aid to the best of my efforts, but I will most likely remain in the dark for some time before that day comes." Looking over, he cocked his head at a tilting angle before a dawning smile breached his dispassionate expression, "However...I wouldn't mind stretching my legs out for a bit to do some more conventional work. Does your organization possess any openings that I may fill in?" It was something that Angelika hadn't been expecting - something that was made clear from the expression on her face. The mastermind behind the late dance of death, her old nemesis of all people, was offering to join her organization and become an ally? She knew that there were still some who still held animosity towards him - particularly Kenja. The immature side of her was flaring, still sore about having to bend backwards on Kenja's insistence to make V-14 the "good guys", saw this as a chance to spite him and earn a bit of payback. But she wasn't going to jump the gun and push him into a spot right away. She didn't have to force it; as far as she was concerned, V-14 was still the fraction of the maximum size. She just wanted to make sure everything was cleared up before she made any sort of decision. Once again, she flashed him a smile of amusement while raising an eyebrow. "You do realize the ramifications of a request like this, right? You'd be putting yourself in a position under me. Are you sure you would care being one of my subordinates?" Yashin chuckled at her reaction, as if he had expected it. Leaning forward, he cocked his own left brow up as he whispered. His subtle, sweet enticing breath washed over her face with cool emerald eyes shining towards her dark obs, "I'm quite sure if a proud member of the Sakamoto Clan and The Dominator have no qualms being technical subordinates while still retaining a modicum of authority, I'll be just fine. You don't mind if I have some say in matters, right? After all, I am going to provide this organization privy information for what I find out from my own network of intelligence as well as what happens within the reformed ''Inner Circle. My validity as a powerful asset should be taken into consideration, no?" It was here that Angelika raised one of her hands, gently planting the tip of her index and middle finger against his forehead. "Everyone within the V-14," She said, her smile casually fading away as she looked at him. "Has a voice. What kind of leader would I be if I did not listen to the voices of those who follow me? I am no tyrant." Her fingers applied force, pushing his head back in a minor manner. "Nor am I a woman easily swayed by physical touch." When she pulled her fingertips off of his forehead, she slung them back to mime the shooting of a pistol before returning her hand back to its former position on her lap. One corner of her mouth was pulled upward into a more subtle smirk. Furrowing his brows slightly at the push via finger tap, Yashin simply chuckled at her lattermost comment. It was almost...enticing to have a new form of challenge he never encountered before. Most things came easily, either through a great amount of patience or through exertion of his own strength. Everything became is within a simple matter of time, with very few possessions out of his reach or incapable of being willed to his side. Here with Angelika with a delicate relationship...it felt like he was treading on thin ice with a blindfold. He knew that one false move could ruin something potentially amazing. If boundaries were in place for a reason, he should respect them dutifully and contentedly. "Of course not," He responded with a smile, turning away just enough so his right eye gleamed with mischief as it sideglanced her with a smirking grin of his own, "but it's still fun to tease." She softly huffed, folding her arms across her chest and briefly looking away. "It will take some time, dealing with likes of paperwork and whatnot." She said. "But it shouldn't be too difficult passing you into our fold." A corner of her lip subtly curled upward again. "Most likely, this is going to get me some sort of backlash from the rest of them - particularly from the likes of Kenja. But that is something I can put up with. I would not be where I am if I didn't have at least a little patience. In addition, considering how sudden this is, members to fill in as your respective team won't be that easy to come by. Unless, of course," She glanced over to him. "You know some people that would be interested?" With a thin, knowing smile Yashin shrugged and evasively answered, "Suppose I do. If things fall through as I expect them to be, you'll be meeting them all quite soon. I can't say how many, but you can expect at least three to be with me when I join this group of yours. Until then, I shall be awaiting your call." Standing up, Yashin walked a handful of meters towards the doorway, with his back turned towards V-14's leader. Stretching out his right hand out to the adjacent direction, an elegantly shaped scythe manifested within his. With a smooth swiping gesture over the space in front of himself, an azure flaming tear formed within the space inches away from the actual door. Within the opening was a dark chasm, almost as black as an abyss. Resting his scythe over his shoulder, the mastermind tossed over his left shoulder what looked like a earpiece, capable of being adorned just behind the cleft of her outer ear. "A convienant way of getting in touch with me," Yashin explained without turning his head. But what he did turn his head over was to peer back at her with a dark smile, "and don't worry about that Fullbringer. I have something he wants and I intend to rectify that mistake. As soon as he calms down and we cross paths, our petty feud will be much more defused. At worst, he'll keep resenting me. At best, he'll only be annoyed by my presence." On reflex, Angelika thrust her hand out and caught the object, opening her palm soon afterward to inspect it. Her eyes directed themselves to Yashin as he spoke, meeting his gaze evenly when he looked over her shoulder. They only idly took note of the portal that he had made for himself, considering the presence of his otherworldly nature was already a strong thing associated with him. "Oh, I don't have any worries about Kenja's vendetta with you." She answered smoothly. "If he wishes not to be hypocritical, he will grow to tolerate your presence. Until then..." The hand that held the earpiece jerked, tossing the object of interest up in the air. When it descended back down to earth, it was caught between two fingers. She lowered those fingers to point at Yashin as a sign of acknowledgement. "Farewell... ''servant of darkness." Laughing quietly, Yashin turned his head and muttered aloud as he stepped into the portal's gateway, "You misconstrued that, my dear Angelika. I do not serve darkness. I am its master." As suddenly as he appeared, Yashin disappeared into the fade from whence he came. The tear in space soon wrinkled back into normalcy, erasing any trace or sign he had ever been there. The only real visible nuance of his arrival would be the slight dilation in the air from where his scythe had cut through space, leaving a distortion that in time would eventually fade. Other than that, Angelika Hartmann was now, for the moment completely alone. It was in this moment of silence that she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. Her hand set the earpiece on her drawer, and it wasn't long before she found herself sliding back into the comfort of her bed. As she pulled the covers back over herself and lay her head on the pillow, she could hear the whispers of the Shadow. While normally this would have been a cause of alarm in its earlier days, it was now a sign of protection. Now that the thing was pacified, it had taken up the role of her guardian - most prominently concerning her dreams. It made its connection to Yashin all the more humorous, and she couldn't help but give an amused smile with a tint of warmth. "I hope he doesn't make a habit out of babying me too much..." She said to herself. "If I get any more special treatment... I just might get spoiled." With that being said, she closed her eyes and drifted back to the realm of her dreams. Your Decision Is What?! An Eerie Newcomer The next day that followed started nearly at the crack of dawn, for those who were used to sleeping in through the morning. Angelika had gathered practically every present member of V-14. From obscure members such as Shou, Kaitlyn and Genesis to invaluable squad leaders such as Mōka and Asuka all gathered. Some took it in stride while others looked incredibly disgruntled at having their precious bedrest being stolen for the sake of something that could be discussed later in the day. "The Hell, Angie? For once I was having a good piece of sleep," Yajū groaned, his eyes briefly looking over at Genesis in confirmation that they had shared the bed last night. A tired smile played at his lips before it curdled into a sneer at Angelika. He wanted to sleep all day like that, but there was no going back now, thanks to her. "For once, I had to side with him," Mōka murmured, a yawn escaping her lips, her hand hurriedly covering it to stifle it. Lowering it down, her eyes blinked haggardly at Angelika, idly scratching at her crimson nightrobe's posterior. Her hair was frayed in all directions, giving her a clear case of bedhair. "what's dish 'bout?" "A development that occurred as of last night." Angelika answered, her arms behind her and her palms planted on what was a meeting room's table as she leaned against it. Her eyes drifted over to each and every one of her fellow room occupants, from the disgrunted to the more relaxed. "Apologies if I happened to be disturbing anyone else's good slumber..." She rolled her eyes, particularly looking at Yajū when she spoke the next set of words. "Or any unmentioned night escapades." "Heh." Genesis snorted, ignoring the glare of annoyance from Shou. "But this bit of news was too important to wait." Angelika continued. "Depending on your attitude, it'll be bad as well as good." "Bad news?" Oliver groaned, heaving a heavy sigh and briefly slumping over. "Welp, there goes my day of sobriety." Ignoring a few looks of surprise directed his way, he walked over to the refrigerator and opened the door. His hands rummaged around, particularly in the section where the alcoholic beverages were kept. "Gonna start this off with a fresh can of depth charge." He stopped for a moment, looking thoughtful. "That's slang for a 24 ounce, if you didn't catch my drift." "Dad, could you pass me one?" Kaitlyn was sitting at one of the seats, looking quite worse for wear. Her eyes were baggy, and she had an elbow propped on the table while holding her head as if she had acquired the biggest hangover. "I really could use something to lighten me up right now." An appalled look crossed Oliver's face, and he swiftly turned his head to look at his daughter. "Kaitlyn Holmes!" He said indignantly, his exclamation causing her to jolt up and look at him with widened eyes. "Shame on you! To think that I would advocate one of my own children taking up a hobby as bad as drinking! I would never--" However, he abruptly cut himself off with a snicker, his "stern" expression regressing to a more jocular one. "Nah, I'm just kidding. Catch!" He promptly tossed her the can he had acquired, reaching in the fridge to pull out another one. While Kaitlyn sighed in relief as she caught it, Shou regarded his former partner with shock and disbelief. "Oliver!" "Oh, shut up." Oliver rolled his eyes. "She's grown. If she wants to drink, it's her business." Genesis cocked an eyebrow and folded her arms across her chest as she watched her "elder" sister pop the can open. "You drink?" She asked, almost as if she had seen Kaitlyn discover the lost city of Atlantis. "You, Miss Goody Goody Two Shoes, taking up alcoholism?" "I only drink on special occasions." Kaitlyn said bluntly, briefly passing a glare over at Genesis. "And this just so happens to be an emergency." "On second thought," Mōka called out, her voice becoming more audible as her messily red-locked head turned towards those standing or staggering on their feet, "calling it now, who wants shots? I'll get some fer y'all so you can stomach whatever Angie's got in store fer ya." "I!" Hyōryū called out, elbowing Anton in the chest, further emphasized with a nod at him. Her standard attire from the other night, hadn't changed other than a leather jacket draped over her sports bra clad chest. "get one for Anton. If we're going to be doused with depression this early, might as well not be sober for it." "Ow." Anton deadpanned. "I don't understand that kind of reasoning," Shadō said bluntly, merely standing tall while donning his normal trench coat and hat. "Might as well get stoned while I'm awake," Yajū murmured, raising a hand up with acknowledgement. "I guess I might as well," Shito raised his own hand, earning a nod of respect from his boss. "Count me in!" Zaii shouted, almost exuberantly beside Shinshin, waving both arms over his head. "I want in on this mutual drinking of despair we have going!" "How debased," Shinshin thought with an irritated glare fixed on his tired visage. Looking over at his colleague, he arched a brow slightly with wonderment and subdued annoyance, "I wonder why he's in such high spirits?" "It seems I'm one of the only ones who got a good night's rest, more or less, so I don't need it," Kenja said with a shake of his head. After hearing all of their reactions, Omega Squad's leader went back to the fridge of their designated living room and retrieved a number of chilled beers. Tossing them, they flew underhanded or overhanded to the respective people, falling into their possession one way or another. The hisses of lids being uncorked or uncapped was heard as those present who requested to be less sober began to consume the essence of their bottles. It took less than a minute for them all to douse themselves with alcohol of some sort, eventually boiling down to Angelika simply breaking the ice. "Right, then..." After shaking her head in the most subtle of manners, Angelika decided to speak again. "The good news is that there will be another team addition to V-14. I got a call from the appointed leader last night explaining his desire to be recruited. After going over a brief background check as well as making sure his past performances were up to par with our standards, I found it acceptable to bring him in. I am not sure when he will appoint team members, but we have established that once he does, he'll inform me right away." "Whoo!" Yusuke, uninhibited by his sudden wake from slumber, demonstrated that he was still energetic as ever by thrusting his fists up to the ceiling in a cheer. "New teammates! New buddies!" It earned a giggle from Rika, who was sitting beside him. "That sounds like like the good dose of news, Angelika." Asuka said, leaning against a wall with her arms folded across her chest. She looked at Angelika curiously. "Too good to stir up feelings of negativity." A slow smirk came across Angelika's face. "Oh, it can be interpreted as bad considering that the appointed leader in question is a former enemy." She discreetly took pleasure when see saw multiple faces take on a mannerism of surprise and wariness, keeping her eyes on Asuka. "You should know. You were the first to actually hurt him." The Sakamoto heiress didn't need another clue. Her eyes widened, and it was one of the few times that she looked genuinely shocked about something. It made Angelika's grin grow, especially when she managed to utter out a response. "...oh, by the Spirit King, you didn't." "I most certainly did." Angelika answered smoothly. "And despite the opposition I know I'll be facing for it, I can tell you that I knew exactly what I was doing." Category:Bleach: The War of Four Category:Yashin Shiyōnin Category:Shidai Kagai Category:Oliver Holmes